newsletter-cathy-johnson-september-2012

C. H. I. Central Valley North Newsletter Sept., 2012
Dear Families & Students,
Last month, we said the last of our goodbyes to our summer groups and at the
same time welcomed 56 students for the Academic Year Program. It was a
busy month for both our Teacher Coordinators and Academic Coordinators.
Again, our thanks goes out to everyone who participated or is currently
participating in one of these programs.
Please note that we have 4 groups slated to arrive in December- you’ll find
information on the groups in the Important Dates section to the right. Over
the years, my own family has hosted several students in December and I have
to tell you that there’s something magical about hosting during the Christmas
holidays when we have so many wonderful traditions to share.
Our Academic Year Program is just beginning. The last of our mini
orientations will be taking place this month along with a Welcome party. I
hope to have the opportunity of meeting all of our students and their families
at the Welcome Party in 12 days.
We have a great year planned and we’re looking forward to getting to know
you and your students over the next 10 months.
Please let us know if there is any way my staff and I can help you.
Peace,
Cathy
San Andreas
- The last of
our summer
groups to say
their
goodbyes
IMPORTANT DATES FOR
ACADEMIC YEAR:
Host Family / Student mini Orientation
Grass Valley- 6:30pm, Wed. Sept. 6 at the
Bertrams home- 14282 Makikuja Rd.
Grass Valley
Granite Bay- 6:30pm, Thurs. Sept. 6 th at
the Granite Bay Library (6475 Douglas
Blvd. Granite Bay
Yuba City- 6:30 at AC, Eliana Biggs
home 1615 Sicard St. Marysville
AYP Welcome Party-
Sunday, Sept. 16th 4pm-7pm- Caitlin Park
in Folsom. Please join us for an “All
American barbecue.” Host families are
asked to bring a salad or dessert to share &
the rest will be provided. Directions :
From Hwy 50- Exit Folsom Blvd. Right on
Blue Ravine, right on Russi Rd (the parks
between Stewart & Grover on Russi Rd.
From Hwy 80- Exit Douglas Blvd. East in
Roseville. Turn right on Auburn- Folsom
Rd. which eventually turns into Folsom
Blvd. left on Blue Ravine, right on Russi.
IMPORTANT- Students should turn in
their $80 for the Sacramento weekend at
the Welcome Party.
Sacramento Trip for students and AC’s.
Sat. & Sun. Oct 20 & 21. Please see
itinerary on the next page.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR GROUP
HOMESTAY-
Ibaraki Christian High School from
Japan visits the 3 communities of Lodi,
Yuba City & Sacramento from 12/2-12/6
Shonan High School from Japan visits
Valley Springs from 12/18-12/27
AC, Diane Scronce
pictured with 4 of her EXPLORE AMERICA
students doing a
Several students have asked me if we take students to Hawaii or the East
volunteer clean up Coast- While our CHI trips are in Northern California, Explore America
does offer these trips. Your students will be receiving information from
project in San Andreas.
this organization. Please note that while Explore America is not
affiliated with CHI, it is a reputable company that we’ve been working
with for years. The students are chaperoned & all of the feedback has 1
been very positive. Students must have permission from their Host
Cultural Homestay International – A Non-Profit Family, AC Educational and natural parents Exchange & their Program grades must meet CHI’s
standards.

September Student Goals from Cathy:
1:00-4:00 VIEWING PAST ISSUES OF OUR
#1 Speak to and say “hello”to a different classmate every day in every class
until you’ve spoken to each person twice.
NEWSLETTERS ON THE WEB
#2 Check out as many after school activities as possible & join a club or
sports team by Oct. 13.
#3 Keep communication with home to an absolute minimum. Only 2 phone
calls home a month.
Question??? Our student wants to go
to San Francisco for the weekend with a friend
from school. Is this permitted?
It’s only permitted when your student is traveling with a
responsible adult. If the parents of the friend have invited your
student to join them and you know them and feel comfortable,
it’s fine but a student cannot spend the night without a
responsible adult present.
QUESTION ??? We are thinking about going on a
vacation outside of the U.S. with our student. Is
this permisable?
Students leaving the U.S. must have their original DS-2019
signed by CHI’s Operation Manager, Kristi Doyle in our main office.
Your student will need to send the original document by traceable male
certified (Fed-ex or UPS) to CHI, 104 Butterfield Rd. San Anselmo CA
94960 C/O Kristi. When the document is signed, it will be returned to
the student by traceable mail.
If you would like to see past issues
of OUR newsletters, you can visit
our CHI web site at www.chinet.org.
Click Programs in the U.S., go to
Academic Year and then Regions and
you’ll
find our territories newsletters listed
under the Sacramento Region.
For the most recent photos taken of
our groups and the Academic Year
Program, please go to Cathy’s CHI
Facebook page and don’t forget to
click “like”
www.facebook.com/pages/cathy-
Johnson-Cultural-Homestay-
International-
Sacramento/209202085774149
Volunteering began in the United States and is still an unknown term in many other countries
around the world. Hosting a student and enriching your community go hand in hand. Websters
Dictionary defines a volunteer as: One who offers himself for a service of his own free will. As a
host family, you are the best example of volunteerism that our students have. Past experience
tells me that our families are often engaged in volunteer projects that are offered through church
and service clubs. Please take time to talk to your student about the projects that you’ve been
involved in and if at all possible, get your student involved in volunteer projects. In so doing, you
will be providing your student with a unique opportunity to learn about volunteerism first hand.
Just an FYI, I ask that all of our students complete 10 hours of community service work while
they’re in America.
Cultural Homestay International – A Non-Profit Educational Exchange Program

CHI SACRAMENTO
Saturday & Sunday Oct. 20 & 21
Cost - $80, due Sept. 16 th at the Welcome Party
Location: Vagabon Inn Executive 909 Third St. Sacramento (The hotel is off of I-5 in Old Town Sacramento. Exit
J St, Left on 5 th St. , Left on I St., Left on 3 rd St (hotel is on the left.)
Saturday, Oct. 20
9:00am- Host families are asked to bring your student to the hotel. We’ll be checking your student’s bags in at the
lobby and then proceeding to the Capitol to use one of their meeting rooms. PLEASE TRY TO BE ON TIME.
Backpacks will need to be left at the hotel.
10:30-11:30 Tour of the State Capitol
11:30-12:30 Subway catered lunch on the Capitol grounds.
12:30-2:30 “Family Life” discussion
2:30- Students will depart for the Vagabond hotel and check into their rooms. (weather permitting, students may want
to relax and enjoy a swim at the hotel pool.)
4:30- Meet outside the lobby of the Vagabond hotel and depart for our surprise evening activity- be sure to bring a
jacket & flashlight. We’ll have a tailgate party dinner when we arrive at our destination. On the way back to the
hotel, we’ll stop and see the capitol at night & students will have a chance to purchase a late night fast food snack.
Students will remain in their assigned hotel room until breakfast on Sunday.
Sunday, Oct. 21
8:00-9:00am Breakfast in the dining room (Please bring your belongings down and put them in storage prior to
breakfast.)
9:00-10:30am “School Life” discussion
10:30 Depart for Old Sacramento for a Digital Scavenger Hunt.
12:00-1:00 Lunch at Round Table Pizza.
1;00-4:00 Free time to explore Old Sacramento and the Downtown Plaza
4:00- Meet at the Old Sacramento Café 1026 2 nd St for ice cream before leaving for the hotel at 4:30.
5:00pm – Please pick your student up at the Vagabond Inn hotel.
EMERGENCIES- Cathy at 916-791-2425 or toll free at 1-877-791-2425
Things to bring: swimming suit, Digital camera, flashlight, comfortable clothes & shoes, jacket, toiletry articles &
$ for shopping and a late night snack on Saturday. (you may also want to bring a pair of shoes that you don’t mind
getting a little muddy.)
Things not to bring: Cell phones (unless they’re used as cameras,) lap tops, i-pods.
We consider it a special privilege for us to have outings with our students. Please be aware that each student is
expected to: Help whenever needed; remain in their room & speak in quiet voices when we return to the hotel on
Saturday night; no smoking is permitted on CHI outings & students are to make their best effort to speak English
since English is the language that unites us.
Girls Boys Chaperones